Not so Fast
Jan 8, 2017
Dr. Ed Newton
2 Chronicles 20:1-23 ESV
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
20 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar" (that is, Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, "O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 'If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[c] or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.' 10 And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came[d] upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you."
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed." 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
"Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever."
22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.
Footnotes:
2 Chronicles 20:1 Compare 26:7; Hebrew Ammonites
2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (Syria)
2 Chronicles 20:9 Or the sword of judgment
2 Chronicles 20:14 Or was
Target:
What do you do, when you don't know what to do? You have looked within, you have looked around, and you have even looked up, and you feel your circumstances closing in on you, how will you respond?
Transition:
When you feel surrounded, secluded and sabotaged by the enemy concerning your family, your career, your health, your future, your relationships, your success, God makes a way even when there is no way. Today, recognize two specific realities:
I. The Attack of the Adversary: (verses 1-2)
A. Surrounds you to create Fear
B. Steals from you to cause Failure
C. Slanders you to choose to Forfeit
• Elephants at the circus are attached to chain connected to a stake in the ground.
• Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
• 365 "fear nots" in the Bible
• Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Revelation 12:10-11 NLT
II. The Advantage of the Almighty: (verses 3-22)
A. Proclaimed a Fast: (verse 3)
• Position and posture ourselves toeard God.
• Eliminate clutter
1. What Is Fasting?
The process in which to eliminate clutter in the life of a Christian by choosing to abstain from a daily dependency and redirect that need to God through worship, scripture reading and prayer.
2. Why Fast?
• Out of Desperation: (2 Samuel 12: 16)
• Out of Dependency: (Deuteronomy 9:9)
• Out of Discernment: (Daniel 10:3- 13)
• Out of Deliverance: (Esther 4: 13-16)
• Out of Direction: (I Kings 19:7-18)
• Out of Disaster: (Jonah 3)
• Out of Desire (Matthew 4:4)
B. Prayed in Faith: (verses 4-17)
• Confess His Power
• Count on His Provision
• Call for His Peace
• Claim His Promise
.
C. Praised in the Fight: (verses 18-22)
• Full of Confidence
• Full of Courage
• Ex 14:14
• God is fighting for me.
40 Day Challenge:
As a community of faith, we believe that what God has called us to
do in our city, in the nation and in the world requires an extreme commitment of sacrifice.
We are asking you to consider doing without something of value or dependence for the
purpose of redirecting your attention to seek God and His presence in your life.
